Tennessean Belles

Eine kleine Auftragsarbeit aus dem Süden der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika, die Michi gerade abgeschickt hat. Die Bemalung entspricht den exakten Wünschen des Auftraggebers.

A little commission from the USA that Michi has just completed and shipped. The painting design is executed as requested by the customer.

Cops and robbers

Now look at that! Would you believe this is a draft version of a card game that is yet nowhere to buy? We couldn´t, but it actually is. The miniatures are displayed for fun only and of course to get you hooked to read on...

Cops & Robbers

A new card game by Devious Games from New Zealand that will be on kickstarter soon. The link will be posted here of course when it´s due.

AND IT'S NOW LIVE!!!
Get in early to get some early bird goodness.

Here's the link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1173449368/cops-and-robbers-the-card-game-0

The game can be played by 2 to 6 players aged 8 or older. The TableTerrorTeam had the chance to get a pre-fabrication copy of the game to playtest:

It is about cops and robbers (as the title implies) with the players being robbers trying to steal as much money as they can until either a certain sum is achieved or an appointed time has run out. We won´t publish the complete rules here, but will try to give you a summary of what you can expect.

There are three card decks on the table with a discard pile for each as well:

Robbers

Loot

Cops

Players start with 5 robber cards each, which is the maximum of cards on the player´s hand during the game too. When it is his turn a player may choose to either draw 2 robber cards or to draw 1 loot card. If not looted that turn the player may play as many cards as he likes. That can be to prepare his getaway by adding improvements to the getaway preparation or to manipulate his opponents.

When a player decides that he has collected enough loot and his getaway is prepared well, he may stash. That means that the player does not draw any cards, but has to take as many cop cards as he has loot cards in his stash. Robber and cops cards values are added and compared. If the robber´s value is equal or higher, the player is getting away with his stash and adds the loot to his loot pile. This can yet be hindered by other players who are playing cards to prevent the robber from getting away.

If a player is jailed by not getting away or being trapped, his loot is lost and he misses a turn.

We conclude that it is a fast and funny game that is easy to understand. It provides an hour or an entire evening of happiness and laughter, the choice is on the players. The artwork is really nice and Kieran the producer promised to have more illustrations by his brother Neill in the actual game than were available for the pre-production.

 

Two thumbs up from us - we kindly recommend to support that kickstarter to see the game finally produced. 

There is another review of the game by Belgian at Wargames News and Terrain:
http://wargameterrain.blogspot.be/search/label/Devious%20Games 

Here is an announcement by Kieran who is going to make this game:

COPS & ROBBERS competition time!!!!!

Devious Games Ltd is running a Cops and Robbers Competition from March 29th 2014 through to May the 17th 2014.

The competition is simple, all you need to do is like the facebook page . Yes that is all you need to do. For every 100 likes the page gets (up to a maximum of 1000 likes) Devious games will give away, free of charge, postage and packaging included, one copy of Cops and Robbers. If you have already liked the facebook page, Awesome!!! You've already got your entry to the competition. Spread this around as much as you can so we have more cops and robbers games to give away.

Conditions:The Kickstarter beginning on April the 20th 2014 finishing on May the 18th 2014 must raise at least the $4,000 initial funding goal.

1 winner will be chosen for every full 100 likes on facebook e.g. 100-199 likes = 1 winner, 200-299 likes = 2 winners up to a maximum of 1000 likes in which case there will be a maximum of 10 winners.
Winner's will be announced after the Kickstarter has completed on May the 18th 2014. 
Winners will be drawn at random from those people that have liked the facebook page.
The winner is responsible for providing their shipping details to devious games ltd.
The winner will be responsible for any import taxes to their respective country.
Winners chosen are final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding this.

 

Saga: Normans vs. Vikings

Eine uralte Fehde brachte zwei Gegner an einem ungewöhnlich milden Freitagabend im März auf den Plan. Olaf Waldasson war mit seinen Mannen an den Gestaden der Normandie gelandet, um seinem alten Erzfeind Godefroy de Michirail nach Jahren der gegenseitigen Piesackerei endlich den Garaus zu machen. Dem Normannen konnte das nur Recht sein, denn er ersparte sich auf diese Weise eine lange Überfahrt in skandinavische Gefilde und hatte alle Vorteile der Ortskenntnis auf seiner Seite.
An old feud made two opponents meet one extraordinarily mild friday evening in march.
Olaf Waldasson and his men were landed in Normandy to end the deeds of his arch enemy Godefroy den Michirail - very much to the delight of the Norman who could spare a long journey and had all advantages on his side due to the knowledge about the terrain of his own country.

Von der Küste im Norden kommend marschierte ein Haufen Bondi, verpflichtete Wikingerkrieger, rechts neben der Straße auf die Normannen zu.
Coming from the north some bondi marched down from the coast to the right of the road straight to the Normans.

Links neben der Straße hatte sich Olaf hinter einem Kornfeld verschanzt und ließ seine Leibwächter und die Berserker noch weiter links vorbeimarschieren.
Olaf was hiding behind a wheat field left to the road. His hirthmen and berserkers were passing the field further left.

Ein weiterer Haufen Bondi bewegte sich etwas weiter zurückversetzt links parallel zu ihren Mitstreitern.
Another mob of bondi appeared further right from the first, moving in parallel to them.

Normannische Bogenschützen erwarteten die Elitekrieger der Wikinger hinter einem Wäldchen.
Norman archers were prepared to hail the Viking elite with arrows.

Auf der Straße war Godefroy mit seiner Schildwache vor ihm aufgezogen. Zu seiner Linken stand eine Abteilung Armbrustschützen bereit.
Godefroy was shielded by his knights in the middle of the road. His sergeants were equipped with crossbows and deployed to his right.

Olaf Waldasson preschte in den Schatten des Wäldchens, was ihn ziemlich verausgabte.
Olaf Waldasson ran into the shadows of a small forrest which exhausted him quite a bit.

Er wähnte sich dort in Deckung und rief seine besten Kämpfer nach vorn.
He commanded his men forward from the cover.

Die Herdwache zog rechts an ihm vorbei und die Berserker links.
Hirthmen advanced to his right and berserkers to his left.

Godefroy reagierte ohne zu zögern und verlagerte die Sergeanten mit den Armbrüsten zur Verstärkung der Bogenschützen auf seine rechte Flanke, um die Wikinger gebührend in Empfang zu nehmen. Er selbst begab sich hinter die Reihen, um den Überblick zu bewahren.
Godefroy didn´t hesitate and moved his sergeants to his right flank, stepping behind them to keep  overview of what would happen.

Die Berserker brachen weit rechts aus dem Unterholz, aber Olaf und die Herdwache stürmten in den Schutz einer kleinen Hütte am Straßenrand. Beide Haufen wurden ordentlich mit normannischen Armbrustbolzen und Pfeilen eingedeckt.
Berserkers broke free from the woods and were welcomed by a shower of arrows. Olaf and the hirthmen ran to a small hut by the roadside and were hailed with bolts from numerous crossbows.

Dann wagte die wikingische Herdwache einen Ausfall und rannte um die Hütte herum,...
Then the hirthmen charged the knights behind the hut... 

...wo sie bis auf den letzten Mann von der standhaften Schildwache der Normannen niedergemacht wurden.
...and were butchered to the last man by the Norman knights.

Daraufhin machte sich die Schildwache in der Gegenrichtung um die Hütte herum, um auch den Wikingerhäuptling unschädlich zu machen.
The Norman knights went around the hut to charge the Viking warlord in return.

Doch sie hatten nicht mit der bestialischen Kampfkraft des nordischen Recken gerechnet, der sie allesamt im Handumdrehen dahinmetzelte.
Now they were slaughtered themselves by the bestial power of the northern barbarian.

Ein kleines Scharmützel fand noch auf der linken Flanke der Normannen statt, wo sich eine weitere Abteilung Bogenschützen mit den Bondi herumschlug, ohne dass eine Seite die Oberhand gewinnen konnte. Es war ein zähes Ringen bei dem Auge mit Auge und Zahn mit Zahn vergolten wurde.
There was another little skirmish on the Normans left flank where some archers were attacked by the Viking Bondi without one side gaining superiority. They fought an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

Dann brach die Ebbe herein und es wurde Zeit für Olaf seine Mannen zum Schiff zurück zu rufen, damit sie noch auslaufen konnten, bevor normannische Verstärkung eintreffen und das Blatt sich vollends gegen sie richten würde. Mit anderen Worten: Die 6 Runden des Szenarios "Clash of Warlords" aus dem Saga-Regelwerk waren gespielt und die Partie endete knapp zu Gunsten der Wikinger.
Erschlagene Normannen:  12 Bogenschützen (4P), 4 Sergeanten (2P) und 4 Ritter (4P), gesamt 10P
Erschlagene Wikinger: 2 Bondi (1P), 8 Herdwache (8P)
Tide was falling now and it was time for Olaf to call his men to return to their ship before they were trapped and Norman reinforcements would make an end to their trip. In games terminology:
6 rounds of the "Clash of Warlords" scenario from the Saga rulebook were played and endet with a Viking victory.
Slain Normans: 12 archers (4VP), 4 sergeants (2VP), 4 knights (4VP), total of 10 victory points
Slain Vikings: 2 bondi (1VP), 8 hirthmen (8VP), total of 9 victory points